There are over 93 million results in Google UK for the search query “how to choose a social media agency” so the data tells me that there are a lot of people searching online for help in this area.
The following top tips will help you to efficiently and effectively pick the best social media agency for your business.
Say what you see
Not only applicable to ‘Catchphrase’ and ‘Mr Chips’ but also a guiding rule for quickly comparing and contrasting social media agencies.
The first thing I would do is check out the agency’ blog and industry news sections. Look at things like frequency of posting, people writing the posts, the quality and varied nature of the content provided and whether you feel the content being written is by thought leaders in the social media niche.
Having faces to social media blogs is important for me as I want to be able to feel the social element of the company through its website and see how social the wider team really are.
Tell me more
Look at the scale of the company and the website; not just pages on the site but the social media marketing services provided. For me, it is the level of whitepapers, tips and advice, social media case studies and clearly detailed expertise that a company openly shares which differentiates a thought leader from an industry follower.
I like to see practical advice that I can implement right now and test the merits of the company based on the results of implementing what they tell us works.
This practical content should jump out at you:
Question Time
Approach social media agencies with consistent messaging and clear questions that are important to you and your goals rather than agencies advising on their goals for you.
The list of questions below should help to get you started:
- How are you going to measure your success?
- What social media platforms work best for my company and my unique goals?
- What social media case studies do you have associated with my industry?
- Can I speak to the people who will be working on my account? (If not, why not)
- Do you offer consultative services and training too so that my team can learn more while you manage the accounts?
- What reporting will I receive?
- How much (or little) do you need from me to make my social media work?